Portable marking tool

ABSTRACT

The portable marking tool has a head member with an axial bore therethrough. An anvil extends through the bore and has an outer end portion with marking devices thereon. An actuator member connected to a source of fluid under pressure is positioned in spaced relation to the head member and has a fluid actuated piston rod assembly movable longitudinally therein. A tubular connecting member is secured at one end to the head member and at the other end to the actuator member. Positioned within the tubular connector member is a striking tool that includes a longitudinally movable body portion coaxially positioned on a tubular support member. The support member has one end portion secured to the head member with an end portion of the anvil extending into the axial bore of the support member. The support member has a plurality of apertures arranged circumferentially therein and forming a ball cage for the locking balls. An annular ring member is positioned between the support member and striking tool body portion and has a plurality of recessed portions for receiving portions of the balls positioned in the ball cage of the support member. The annular ring member is arranged to move toward the head member by an inwardly extending shoulder on the body portion and away from the head member by a return spring positioned around the support member. A hammer member is positioned within the striking tool body portion and has an enlarged head portion urged against an inwardly extending shoulder of the body portion by a spring member. The hammer member has an end portion extending into the tubular support member. The hammer member end portion has an annular recessed portion in which portions of the balls in the support member ball cage extend to lock the hammer member in a retracted position. The actuator member supplied with fluid under pressure is arranged to move the actuator piston into abutting relation with the upper surface of the striking tool body portion and move the body portion toward the head member. As the body portion moves toward the head member the hammer remains locked in a rearward position by the balls in the support member ball cage and in the annular recessed portion of the hammer. As the striking tool body portion moves toward the head member a striking spring within the body portion is compressed and exerts a force against the hammer member. When an inwardly extending shoulder of the body portion abuts the annular end portion of the annular ring, the annular ring moves with the body portion to position the annular spring recessed portions in underlying relation with the apertures of the ball cage of the support member so that the balls move radially outwardly in the ball cage and release the hammer member. As the annular ring member recessed portions move into underlying relation with the apertures in the ball cage, the lower edge of the striking tool body portion moves into abutting relation with the end wall of the head member. The hammer member released by the locking device moves longitudinally in the support member and strikes the anvil member. The striking force of the hammer member is transferred to the anvil member and the marking device connected thereto. The striking force imparted to the marking device impresses a mark in the surface of the object without exerting a substantial external force on the marking tool.

United States Patent [191 Speicher i 1 PORTABLE MARKING TOOL Edwin W. Speicher, Pittsburgh, Pa.

[73] Assignee: M. E. Cunningham Company, Ingomar, Pa.

[22] Filed: Jan. 14, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 217,823

[75] Inventor:

[52] US. Cl... 173/119, 101/3 Primary ExaminerJames A. Leppink Attorney-Stanley J. Price, Jr.

[57] ABSTRACT The portable marking tool has a head member with an axial bore therethrough. An anvil extends through the bore and has an outer end portion with marking devices thereon. An actuator member connected to a source of fluid under pressure is positioned in spaced relation to the head member and has a fluid actuated piston rod assembly movable longitudinally therein. A tubular connecting member is secured at one end to the head member and at the other end to the actuator member. Positioned within the tubular connector member is a striking tool that includes a longitudinally movable body portion coaxially positioned on a tubular support member. The support member has one end portion secured to the head member with an end portion of the anvil extending into the axial bore of the support member. The support member has a plurality 'of apertures arranged circumferentially therein and forming a ball cage for the locking balls. An annular ring member is positioned between the support member and striking tool body portion and has a plurality of recessed portions for receiving portions of the balls positioned in the ball cage of the support member. The annular ring member is arranged to move toward the head member by an inwardly extending shoulder on the body portion and away from the head member by a return spring positioned around the support member. A hammer member is positioned within the striking tool body portion and has an enlarged head portion urged against an inwardly extending shoulder of the body portion by a spring member. The hammer member has an end portion extending into the tubular support member. The hammer member end portion has an annular recessed portion in which portions of the balls in the support member ball cage extend to lock the hammer member in a retracted position. The actuator member supplied with fluid under pressure is arranged to move the actuator piston into abutting relation with the upper surface of the striking tool body portion and move the body portion toward the head member. As the body portion moves toward the head member the hammer remains locked in a rearward position by the balls in the support member ball cage and in the annular recessed portion of the hammer. As the striking tool body portion moves toward the head member a striking spring within the body portion is compressed and exerts a force against the hammer member. When an inwardly extending shoulder of the body portion abuts the annular end portion of the annular ring, the annular ring moves with the body portion to position the annular spring recessed portions in underlying relation with the apertures of the ball cage of the support member so that the balls move radially outwardly in the ball cage and release the hammer member. As the annular ring member recessed portions move into underlying relation with the apertures in the ball cage, the lower edge of the striking tool body portion moves into abutting relation with the end wall of the head member. The hammer member released by the locking device moves longitudinally in the support member and strikes the anvil member. The striking force of the hammer member is transferred to the anvil member and the marking device connected thereto. The striking force imparted to the marking device impresses a mark in the surface of the object without exerting a substantial external force on the marking tool.

7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDUBT 21m PORTABLE MARKING TOOL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to a portable marking tool and more particularly to a spring propelled marking tool.

2. Description of the Prior Art U. S. Pat. No. 2,455,270, entitled Automatic Striking Tool," describes a spring actuated marking tool in which the striking spring is compressed behind the hammer while the hammer is retained in a locked position by balls within a ball cage portion of a support member. The anvil or punch is fixed within the support member. An annular ring member is positioned between a tubular support member and a tubular outer body. To impress a mark on the surface of an object, the striking tool is positioned with the end of the anvil or punch in abutting relation with the surface of the object to be marked. A force is applied to the end of the outer body portion that is resisted by the mass of the object to be marked. The force applied to the body moves the body portion toward the object to be marked and compresses the striking spring within the tubular body portion. The body portion after the spring is compressed a preselected amount moves the annular ring member toward the object to be marked relative to the fixed support member and moves the annular recessed portion in underlying relation with the ball cage of the support member to permit radial displacement of the balls to release the hammer. The hammer under the compressive force of the striking spring moves within the support member and strikes the end of the anvil or punch. The striking force is transferred trough the anvil and marks the object.

With the automatic striking tool disclosed in U. S. Pat. No. 2,455,270 the object to be marked must be either unmovably positioned on a platform or have sufficient mass to remain stationary while the compressive force is applied to the striking spring. This requires either specially designed supports for the object to be marked or objects of sufficient mass to resist movement by the force required to compress the striking spring. There is a need for a portable marking tool that is capable of marking objects without rigidly positioning the object to be marked on fixed supports and also capable of marking relatively light objects.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The hereinafter described invention is directed to a portable marking tool that has a head member with an anvil member movably positioned therein. A hammer member is arranged to move toward and away from the anvil member and to strike the anvil member with a marking force. Locking means are provided to lock the hammer member in spaced relation to the anvil memher. A propelling means is provided to propel the hammer from the locked rearwardly spaced position toward the anvil member. A release means is also provided to release the locking means. An actuator is positioned in spaced relation to the head member with the hammer member therebetween. The actuator member is arranged to energize the propelling means. A connector member is connected at one end to the head member and at the other end to the actuator member so that the anvil member in the head member is operable to transfer the striking force from the hammer member to a surface of the object to be marked without exerting a substantial force by the marking tool against the object to be marked.

With the above portable marking tool it is now possible to lightly position or rest the marking end of the anvil in abutting relation with the object to be marked and propel the hammer by the actuator within the portable marking tool to impart a striking force to the anvil and mark the surface of the object.

Accordingly, the principal object of this invention is to provide a portable marking tool that does not require an immovable support for the object to be marked.

Another object of this invention is to provide a portable marking tool that will impress a mark in a relatively light object.

These and other objects of this invention will be more completely disclosed and described in the following specification, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation and section of my portable marking tool, illustrating the hammer in a retracted and locked position.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, illustrating the hammer as it strikes the anvil.

FIG. 3 is a view in section taken along the Line III- III of FIG. 2, illustrating a plurality of markers supported on the end of the anvil.

FIG. 4 is a view in an end elevation of the portable marking tool with a plurality of marking elements positioned in the head portion.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawings and particularly FIGS. 1 and 2 there is illustrated my portable marking tool generally designated by the numeral 10. The marking tool 10 includes a head portion generally designated by the numeral 12 and an actuator generally designated by the numeral 14 positioned in spaced relation to each other and connected to each other by means of a tubular connecting member 16. A striking tool generally designated by the numeral 18 is positioned within the tubular connecting member 16 and is arranged to provide the striking force for the anvil 20.

Referring in greater detail to the components, the head member 12 has an axial bore 22 therethrough with a first enlarged threaded portion 24, a second enlarged threaded end portion 26 and an end shoulder 28 th'erebetween. The head portion 12 has a transverse slotted portion 30 that intersects the bore 22 and is arranged to house a chase 34. Within the chase 34 there are a plurality of marker elements 36 secured therein by means of a transverse pin 38. The anvil 20 has an enlarged rectangular head portion 40 arranged to abut the marker elements 36 and apply a striking force thereto as later explained.

The tubular connecting member 16 has a threaded end portion that is secured in the threaded bore 26 of head member 12 to rigidly secure the head member 12 to the tubular connecting member 16.

The actuator 14 has a cup shaped cylinder end portion 42 with a threaded opening 44 in the base portion. The open end portion of the cylinder 42 is threadedly secured to a cylindrical block member 46 that, in turn, has an axial bore 48 therethrough with an enlarged threaded portion 50. The end of the tubular connecting member 16 is threadedly secured in the enlarged bore 50 of actuator 14. Within the cylinder 42 there is positioned a piston 52 with a rod 54 extending therefrom through the bore 48 in the cylindrical block member 46. A spring 56 is positioned around the rod 54 and is arranged to urge the piston toward a retracted position as is illustrated in FIG. 1. Connected to opening 44 is a nipple 58 of a three-way sleeve valve 60. A spring 62 is provided to maintain the sleeve valve in a closed position. The other end of sleeve valve 60 is connected by a flexible conduit 64 to a suitable source of fluid under pressure. With this arrangement, movement of the sleeve valve 60 toward the actuator 14 compresses the spring 62 and opens the valve to supply fluid under pressure into the cylinder 42. Rearward movement of the sleeve will release the fluid pressure from within the cylinder and further rearward movement will maintain the sleeve valve 60 closed.

Within the tubular connecting member 16 there is provided a striking tool similar in many respects to the striking tool disclosed in U. S. Pat. No. 2,455,270. The striking tool 18 includes a tubular body portion 66 that is supported in spaced relation to the inner walls of the tubular connecting member by means of annular guides 68 and 70. The guides are suitably secured to the tubular body portion 66 and are movable therewith. A nut 72 is threadedly secured to the end of tubular body portion 66 adjacent the head member 12. The nut has an axial portion 74 through which a supporting member 76 extends into the inner portion of the striking tool body portion 66. The supporting member 76 has a threaded end portion 78 that is secured in the threaded bore 24 of head portion 12. With this arrangement the supporting member 76 remains fixed within the tubular connecting member 16 and the striking tool body portion 66 is arranged to move longitudinally over the surface of the supporting member 76.

The supporting member 76 has a plurality of spaced apertures 80 in the periphery thereof forming a circular ball cage in which balls 82 are positioned. An annular ring member 84 is positioned between the outer surface of supporting member 76 and the inner surface of tubular body portion 66. The annular ring has a plurality of ball receiving recesses 86 therein arranged to receive a portion of the balls 82 when the annular ring 84 is moved toward the head member 12 by the inner extending annular shoulder 88 of tubular body portion 66 abutting the annular end portion 90 of ring 84 and moving ring 84 toward the head portion 12. A return spring 92 is arranged to return the annular ring 84 to the position illustrated in FIG. 1 where a shoulder portion of ring 84 abuts the outwardly extending end shoulder 94 of supporting member 76.

A hammer 96 is positioned within the tubular body portion 66 and extends into the supporting member 76. The hammer has a striking end portion 98 and an annular recessed intermediate portion 100 in which the balls 82 extend to lock the hammer 96 in a rear or retracted position. The hammer 96 has an enlarged head portion 102 that abuts inturned shoulder portion 106 of the tubular body portion 66 and a striking spring 108 abuts the hammer enlarged head portion 102 and the rear wall 110 of tubular body portion 66. A return spring 112 is arranged to move the tubular body portion 66 to the position illustrated in FIG. 1. The spring 112 abuts the outer turned shoulder 94 of supporting member 76 and the inturned shoulder 106 of tubular body portion 66. As the tubular body portion 66 moves toward the head member 12 the spring 112 is compressed and returns the body portion 66 to the position illustrated in FIG. 1.

The portable marking tool operates in the following manner. The sleeve valve 60 is moved forward against the spring 56 and admits fluid under pressure into the cylinder 42 to move the piston 52 and rod 54 axially as illustrated in FIG. 2 and compresses the spring 56. The rod 54 abuts the end portion 110 of the striking tool body portion 66 and moves the striking tool body portion 66 axially toward the head portion 12. The hammer 96 is locked in the position illustrated in FIG. 1 relative to the supporting member 76 and the balls 82 in ball cage extend into the recessed portion 100 of hammer 96. The forward movement of the body portion 66 compresses the striking spring 108 and exerts a force against the enlarged head portion 102 of hammer 96. Further movement of the striking tool body portion 66 moves the body portion inturned shoulder 88 into contact with the end portion of the annular ring member 84 and moves the ring member 84 therewith until the detent or recessed portions 86 are in underlying relation with the ball cage 80 of support member 76. When the recessed portions 86 of annular ring 84 are aligned the balls 82 move radially outwardly from the annular recessed portion in the hammer 96 to release the hammer 96 from its retracted locked position. The hammer 96 is then propelled toward the head portion 12 and strikes the anvil 20 and transmits a marking force to the anvil 20. The parts are so dimensioned that the front face 114 of nut 72 abuts the inner shoulder 28 of head portion 12 as the hammer 96 is released from its rearward locked position as is illustrated in FIG. 2. It is believed that the abutting relation of the striking tool body portion 66 with the head portion 12 as the hammer 96 is released and propelled forward provides a structure that transmits the striking force of the hammer 96 through the anvil 20 and markers 36 to the object to be marked and has the desired velocity and force to impress a mark on the object without requiring the object to be positioned in a fixed support or having a mass sufficient to oppose the marking force of the anvil 20. With this arrangement is is now possible to mark objects by simply positioning the tool in abutting relation with the surface of the object to be marked and exerting little, if any, force on the marking tool to oppose the striking force of the portable marking tool. It is also possible with the above described portable marking tool to impress identification, grade and other indicia in the surface of metallic objects fabricated from aluminum, copper, steel and various alloys thereof without rigidly supporting the objects. Relatively thin sheets fabricated from the above metals may also be suitably marked by this process.

It should be understood throughout the specification that the designation of the apparatus as a portable marking tool is intended to include any types of impressions applied to the surface of various objects and it is not intended to limit this apparatus to the use as an indicia marking tool.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle, preferred construction and mode of operation of my invention and have illustrated and described what I now consider to represent its best embodiments.

I claim:

1. A striking tool comprising,

a head member having a bore therethrough,

an anvil member movably positioned in said bore,

means retaining said anvil member in said bore,

a hammer member arranged to move toward said anvil member and strike said anvil member with a marking force,

locking means to lock said hammer member in spaced relation to said anvil member,

propelling means to propel said hammer member toward said anvil member,

release means to release said locking means and permit said hammer member to be propelled by said propelling means toward said anvil member,

an actuator to energize said propelling means, said actuator spaced from said head member with said hammer member therebetween, and

a connector member connecting said head member to said actuator so that said anvil member is operable to transfer said marking force from said hammer to a surface of an object to be marked.

2. A striking tool as set forth in claim 1 in which said connector member includes,

a tubular portion connected at one end to said actuator and at the other end to said head member,

said locking means, said propelling means and said release means positioned in said tubular member.

3. A striking tool as set forth in claim 1 in which said fluid operated device includes,

a fluid actuated servo mechanism operable to move said propelling means longitudinally relative to said connector member and release said locking means.

4. A striking tool as set forth in claim I in which,

said head member includes a rear wall,

said propelling means includes a tubular body portion with a front end portion,

said tubular body front end portion movable into abutting relation with said head member rear wall as said locking means is released by said release means.

5. A striking tool as set forth in claim 2 in which,

said propelling means includes a tubular body portion positioned coaxially within said tubular portion of said connector member, said tubular body portion of said propelling means movable axially within said connector member tubular portion.

6. A striking tool as set forth in claim 2 which includes,

resilient means positioned in said connector member tubular portion, said resilient means operable to urge said hammer away from said anvil member.

7. A striking tool as set forth in claim 1 which includes,

a support member secured at one end to said head member,

resilient means positioned in said connector member and having an end portion abutting the other end of said support member and the other end of said resilient means abutting said propelling means, said resilient means operable to urge said hammer member away from said anvil member. 

1. A striking tool comprising, a head member having a bore therethrough, an anvil member movably positioned in said bore, means retaining said anvil member in said bore, a hammer member arranged to move toward said anvil member and strike said anvil member with a marking force, locking means to lock said hammer member in spaced relation to said anvil member, propelling means to propel said hammer member toward said anvil member, release means to release said locking means and permit said hammer member to be propelled by said propelling means toward said anvil member, an actuator to energize said propelling means, said actuator spaced from said head member with said hammer member therebetween, and a connector member connecting said head member to said actuator so that said anvil member is operable to transfer said marking force from said hammer to a surface of an object to be marked.
 2. A striking tool as set forth in claim 1 in which said connector member includes, a tubular portion connected at one end to said actuator and at the other end to said head member, said locking means, said propelling means and said release means positioned in said tubular member.
 3. A striking tool as set forth in claim 1 in which said fluid operated device includes, a fluid actuated servo mechanism operable to move said propelling means longitudinally relative to said connector member and release said locking means.
 4. A striking tool as set forth in claim 1 in which, said head member includes a rear wall, said propelling means includes a tubular body portion with a front end portion, said tubular body front end portion movable into abutting relation with said head member rear wall as said locking means is released by said release means.
 5. A striking tool as set forth in claim 2 in which, said propelling means includes a tubular body portion positioned coaxially within said tubular portion of said connector member, said tubular body portion of said propelling means movable axially within said connector member tubular portion.
 6. A striking tool as set forth in claim 2 which includes, resilient means positioned in said connector member tubular portion, said resilient means operable to urge said hammer away from said anvil member.
 7. A striking tool as set forth in claim 1 which includes, a support member secured at one end to said head member, resilient means positioned in said connector member and having an end portion abutting the other end of said support membeR and the other end of said resilient means abutting said propelling means, said resilient means operable to urge said hammer member away from said anvil member. 